EB-5 visa vote confuses councilman

Wednesday

Oct 21, 2009 at 2:26 PMOct 22, 2009 at 5:45 AM

BROOKE EDWARDS Staff Writer

VICTORVILLE • Councilman Terry Caldwell apparently didn't realize he led the charge to approve accepting the city's first $500,000 loan from a Chinese family under the federal EB-5 investment program Tuesday night.

Shortly after the council agreed to move forward with the program on a 4-0 vote, with Councilwoman JoAnn Almond absent, Caldwell started to refute a Daily Press report that the item was up for approval that night.

"I had read in the paper today that there would be a presentation of an EB-5 investment," Caldwell started off. "I read the paper, I thought it said today. Umm ..."

As Caldwell paused, Mayor Rudy Cabriales pointed out: "It was on — we voted on it."

"A consent item?" Caldwell asked.

"Well no, it was under the Southern Cal(ifornia Logistics Airport Authority agenda)," Cabriales explained. That agenda had been chaired by Caldwell 20 minutes before.

"All right, well then, I was asleep at the switch on that," Caldwell said.

The councilman then went on to take issue with the Daily Press presenting the program as resulting in citizenship."It results initially in a conditional visa, which is a long way from citizenship and may not ever ripen into citizenship," Caldwell said.

Under the EB-5 program, the Quan family from the Hunan Province of China will receive conditional visas in exchange for their $500,000 loan to the city of Victorville. The family then has 180 days to enter the United States and, between 21 and 24 months later, apply for removal of conditions on their visas.

With final approval, the Quans will be granted permanent residency to settle wherever they choose in America.

The city's partner, Inland Group, out of Newport Beach, is targeting 50 foreign families through the first phase of the program to help raise $25 million to fund Victorville's planned wastewater treatment plant.

Brooke Edwards may be reached at 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

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